Whosoever Holds This Hammer – Comics Cover Price

Let’s not beat around the bush, comics are getting expensive. With so many new issues, epic sagas, and never-ending disasters, my wallet can only take so much. Cover Price is a weekly comic review with the set budget of $15(ish). I mostly pick my choices based on cover, price, and hype. Which company suckered me into buying their issues this week? Were the issues I picked up worth the $15(ish) cut? Were the issues you picked up worth your money?

5/13/15 C.C.P. Reviews:

Secret Wars #2 – $4.99

Thor #8 – $3.99

Convergence #6 – $3.99

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four #1 – $2.99

Secret Wars #2

Writer: Jonathan Hickman | Artist: Esad Ribic

Secret Wars #2 takes a step back from the breakneck action that defined last week’s issue to flesh out Hickman’s new world. Earth-616 and the Ultimate Universe are no more; our characters find themselves in “Battleworld,” the location of the Secret Wars. We needed a tour guide through Battleworld, and who better to guide us than Thor? Well, a Thor. Turns out there is an entire squadron of Thors that serve as the policing force in Battleworld. As a fresh Thor enters the ranks, we get a tour vicariously through the new recruit. This is a great way to slowly welcome us into this new universe, as well learn the ins and outs of it all. We come to realize that Battleworld is a heck of a lot like the Game of Thrones mythos…different factions, wavering loyalties, competing ideals. We barely scratch the surface of all this, but it is quite clear that Battleworld is an intricately crafted universe unto itself, not just a place that was slapped together so our heroes could duke it out. There is a respectable level of detail ingrained in the story that excites us for the future. The art is decently reflective of this detail, also. Ribic does a great job creating larger-than-live environments that really bring the book to life. While some of the finer details are glossed over at times, the spectacle is still amazing and rivals some of the best art we’ve seen to date in Marvel’s events. If you are a new reader, and you were a little overwhelmed by last week’s hectic introduction, fear not. The dust has settled, and we now can appreciate the gravity of everything that has happened and everything that has yet to come.

Convergence #6

Writer: Jeff King, Scott Lobdell | Artist: Ed Benes, Eduardo Pansica

In other multiverse-spanning battles of good vs evil news, Convergence took quite a turn this week. I’d be lying if I said this event wasn’t falling a bit short of expectations…there have been quite a bit of interesting thoughts that we just haven’t quite delved into yet. In this book alone, we have an unique Flash-on-Flash dichotomy that wasn’t explored particularly deeply, the convincing of Telos to join the cause, and a mysterious force keeping watch of the whole event. Unfortunately, each of these threads is jam packed in the larger story, so they all seem rushed. Dick Grayson doesn’t need to do a whole heck of a lot of convincing for Telos to help out, and the Crisis on Infinite Earth nostalgia doesn’t quite jive either. What is great however is the artwork. With both artists juggling the responsibilities in this book, you could argue that the art has devolved into madness. OR you could argue, as I will, that it creates a unique collage indicative of the conflict at large, invoking all kinds of different emotions and giving us a smorgasbord of things to look at and digest. While the series has a bit if heavy lifting to do in order to reach its full potential, this is a step in the right direction. Is a great book? Not quite. But if you like the characters and are even somewhat invested at this point, it is worth a read.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four #1

Writer: Brian Buccellato | Artist: Bruno Redondo, Juan Albarran

The dust has settled from the mystical warfare of Year Three, and Buccellato takes us into a fourth year with the Gods among us. The books starts off with a heavy amount of exposition, clearly meant to lay the groundwork for the new year. Ones the rules are established, so to speak, we jump right into the story. While Marvel is seeking to harmonize it’s entire universe with the films, it’s clear that this book is DC’s first baby-step towards doing the same. No, this is not a carbon copy, but Superman is far more Man of Steel-y and you can almost begin to see Ben Affleck from Argo in the Bruce Wayne. That being said, I don’t think the films will completely mimics what is going on in this book. Superman is tyrant, plain and simple. The discontent in the ranks is palpable. Batman is doing what he can to make deals to maintain some form of order. And Wonder Woman is the only one with a level head. This book provides a great shift in the status quo when compared to what we generally expect from the DC heroes. If you were a fan of the video game and want a chance to explore a different corner of DC’s library, this is a great place to jump in. With a strong recap and fresh story ready to go, this is a great place to jump in.

Panel of the Week:

Jane FosThor™

There are many, many more books released by DC and Marvel this week. I wish I could read them all but my wallet can only take so much. What did you read this week? Which issues would you put on your $15(ish) budget this week? Remember to read and buy what you want and support your favorite writers and artists!

Derek is working his way home from Battleworld, everyone. He’ll be back next week, this time for sure.